Tradescantia plant named ‘Angelic Charm’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Tradescantia  plant characterized by yellow gold to yellow green foliage, white flowers, a compact clumping habit, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Tradescantia Andersoniana Group.

Variety designation: ‘Angelic Charm’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofTradescantia, given the name, ‘Angelic Charm’. Tradescantia is in thefamily Commelinaceae. This new variety is from a planned breeding crossfor yellow foliage, compact Tradescantia. The new cultivar is a seedlingfrom the cross of Tradescantia 27-1, a proprietary, unnamed seedling, asthe seed parent and Tradescantia 28-3 another proprietary, unnamedseedling, as the pollen parent. Compared to the seed parent,Tradescantia 27-1, the new cultivar has white flowers rather than blue.Compared to the pollen parent, Tradescantia 28-3, the new cultivar hasyellow gold to yellow green foliage rather than green foliage. Comparedto Tradescantia ‘Blue and Gold’ (syn. ‘Sweet Kate’), the new cultivarhas white rather than blue flowers and has a more compact habit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This plant exhibits the following characteristics that make it unique:

-   -   1. yellow gold to yellow green foliage,    -   2. white flowers,    -   3. a compact clumping habit, and    -   4. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand micropropagation using terminal and lateral buds as done in Canby,Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions cometrue to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a two-year-old Tradescantia ‘Angelic Charm’ growing in aone gallon container outside in full sun in late July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Tradescantia cultivarbased on observations of one-year-old specimens grown in a 1 galloncontainer in the greenhouse in May in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 onthe USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F.in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based onThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Upright.        -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 4-9.        -   Size.—Grows to 55 cm wide and 32 cm tall to the top flowers.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Stem.—Oval in cross section, swollen at nodes and leafy,            grows to 10 mm wide and 30 cm tall, glabrous, internodes            range from 8 to 12 cm long, Yellow Green 146B.        -   Roots.—Thick and fleshy, plants root easily from nodes or            crown division.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Spiral.        -   Shape.—Linear-lanceolate.        -   Venation.—Parallel.        -   Leaf description.—Sessile, grows to 36 cm long and 19 mm            wide, margins entire except near base where villous,            glabrous on top and bottom, tip acuminate, base perfoliate.        -   Leaf color.—Varies with light, top and bottom side, ranges            from Yellow Green 145B near the tip to Yellow Green 146A at            the base; more yellow if grown in full sun.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal umbel-like cyme subtended by 1 or 2 leafy            bracts (smaller than the leaves, otherwise the similar, grow            to 12 cm long, 20 mm wide, linear to linear lanceolate, top            and bottom side Yellow Green 145B).        -   Number of flowers per cyme.—Up to 35.        -   Size of inflorescence.—4 cm tall and 4.5 cm wide.        -   Peduncle.—None.        -   Pedicel.—Grows to 18 mm long and 1 mm wide, glabrous,            flattened, Grey Brown 199D in shade to Purple Violet N81A in            sun.        -   Bloom period.—Late May through July in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—10 mm long and 6 mm wide at the widest point prior to            opening.        -   Description.—Ovoid.        -   Surface texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 144D.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Actinomorphic to irregular, single.        -   Size.—40 mm wide and 15 mm deep.        -   Corolla description.—3 petals, each broadly ovate in shape,            sometimes somewhat pleated at the midrib, 20 mm wide and 21            mm long, margin entire, tip obtuse, base attenuate, glabrous            on both sides, top and bottom side White NN155D.        -   Calyx description.—3 sepals, 10 mm long and 6 mm wide,            pubescent outside and glabrous inside, ovate, cupped, margin            entire, tip acute, Yellow Green 146C on both sides.        -   Pistil description.—1 in number, 10 mm long, ovary 2 mm            long, Yellow Green 145C, style 8 mm long, White NN155D;            stigma White NN155D.        -   Stamen description.—6 in number, 8 mm long, filaments 7 mm            long, White NN155D with long White NN155D hairs on bottom ⅔,            anthers reniform in shape, 0.5 mm long, Yellow 13A, pollen            slight, Yellow 13A.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—A cyme blooms for about 4 weeks on the plant.-   Fruit/seed: Fruit a 3-valved, 3-loculed capsule, 1 seed found for 50    flowers, extremely low fertility, seeds oval, 5 mm long and 3 mm    wide, Black 202A.-   Pests and diseases: Tradescantia Andersoniana Group is known to be    susceptible viruses, aphids, and spider mites. The new cultivar has    no known resistances but has shown no problems in Canby, Oreg.

1. A new and distinct form of Tradescantia plant as shown and describedherein.